Report Title:

UH; DOT; Engineering Scholarship Program

Description:

Establishes an engineering scholarship program in the department of transportation. (SD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2997

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to establish a civil engineering scholarship program and appropriate moneys which will promote the civil engineering profession, offer financial assistance, on-the-job training, and employment opportunities to qualified students of Hawaii, in the department of transportation.

SECTION 2. Chapter 26, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§26-   Department of transportation; engineering scholarship program. (a) The department may develop a scholarship program open to high school graduates of accredited high schools in Hawaii, or high school graduates who are residents of Hawaii, who have successfully completed an acceptable high school pre-college curriculum. The department of transportation shall develop, without having to comply with chapter 91, the criteria and guidelines for the scholarship program that will include the qualification requirements, conditions for the scholarship, and reimbursement provisions.

(b) Students awarded scholarships must agree by contract, with the written approval of a parent or guardian when the applicant is under twenty-one years of age, to apply for full-time civil service employment with the department of transportation immediately after graduation from an accredited civil engineering program at the University of Hawaii, and, if hired, complete one year of full-time employment with the department for each school year in the scholarship program. A participant who fails to:

(1) Graduate from an accredited civil engineering program at the University of Hawaii; or

(2) Apply for employment with the department of transportation

shall reimburse the department the full amount of moneys received. A participant who leaves the department before completing the required number of years of employment shall reimburse the department of transportation the amount of scholarship moneys received by the participant for each year of scholarship that corresponds to each year for which the participant fails to complete the employment requirement.

(c) Summer employment may be offered to scholarship students as long as they make reasonable progress in their academic work and prove satisfactory in summer work.

(d) Students awarded scholarships may postpone their work commitment after receiving their bachelors degree in order to actively pursue their masters degree."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the special fund of the general administration of the department (TRN 995) the sum of $100,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for fiscal year 2004-2005, to implement the department of transportation's engineering scholarship program. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of transportation for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2004.